What did I Discover?

This summer I studied Architecture and Immigration in both Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

So what motivated me to conduct this project? The two factors were my love for big cities and my interest in the influence immigration has around the world. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the nation, I find comfort in big cities. They attract me. I am also a son from two hard working immigrant parents that have raised me to be the man I am today. In my city I have seen how immigration has built it and that is what the UAE and Singapore have in common. They have a very high percentage of immigration.

I have been blessed enough to have traveling opportunities before so I was not any more nervous than I had been before. One of the things I struggled with was trying to get into contact with the architects I had planned to meet with. I was able to get confirmation of a meeting through email as I organized my project, but was not able to do so as the dates of my arrival approached. I spent a couple of days walking into different areas in Singapore, luckily it’s a small island, where I entered different architecture firms but got denied a meeting. Also, loneliness. It is no surprise that people get lonely while they travel alone. I would never say that I was sad, but I had an urge to speak to someone. Speak to someone about how excited I was to go on top of the Marina Bay Sands. I wanted to speak to someone about how excited I was to go up the tallest building in the world or ride the fastest roller coaster in the world. As I went about my day, family and friends were asleep. As I was getting ready for bed, family and friends were just getting up to start their days. These struggles, though, did not hinder me from learning the valuable information that I was chasing after. In order to explain my discoveries, I would like to separate them into 3 categories: Singapore, Dubai, and a comparison of both.

Singapore. If I could describe Singapore in a couple of words, it will be the following: futuristic and well prioritized. Singapore is a distinctive city of vibrant lifestyles, a home to many, and place with endless opportunities. These characteristics allow Singapore to continue to grow as a country. Of course, like anything else, there are many things to consider when it comes to the infrastructure and architecture. Some of the things we need to consider are the history, area, and location. Singapore was part of the British from 1819 until 1963. This means that most of their architecture during that era was influenced by them. One perfect example of British influence in Singapore that still stands today is the Cavenagh Bridge. Constructed during the late 1860s, this bridge paid tribute to Major General Orfeur Cavenagh who governed from 1859 to 1867. Not many British structures continue to stand in Singapore, but the ones that continue to stand are very important. One important and recognizable building in Singapore is the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall located in the Downtown Core. Why isn’t there more of these buildings standing? Area. Singapore is the only island city-state in the world; therefore there is not enough space to grow. With 710 square kilometers, there are only so many things the country can fit. Based on information from the URA City Gallery, the country is composed of 17% housing, 16% recreational space, 22% infrastructure, 17% working space, and 28% of other space used for cemeteries, reservoirs, etc. Singapore has done an amazing job making sure its citizens feel like home, have their fair share of nature, and enough working space that it does not feel like New York City, the concrete jungle as many like to call. One of the most interesting buildings I saw that combined all three things in one was the Oasia Hotel. The building, a hotel, allowed people to feel at home, get away from the city and feel more connected to nature because the building’s walls were full of gardens, while providing offices for people to do business in. Finally, the location of Singapore is a perfect match for its architecture. The nature mixed with its architecture brings out the tropical vibe and the beautiful Temples bring out the Asian culture vibe, and the modern architecture arrived due to the constant arrival of ships and business because Singapore’s port is the busiest in South East Asia. It makes sense why there are building such as the Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, and the ScienceArt Museum being designed by foreigners and not Singapore natives.

Dubai. If I could describe Dubai in a couple of words, it will be the following: Innovative and smart. The contact that gave me the following information asked if I could keep his name anonymous because some of the information provided can be very dangerous to share. When people think about Dubai, the first things that come to mind is the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Palm Island, The Marina, supercars, and filthy rich people. All of these things have made Dubai one of the most touristic destinations in the world, but how did they get there so fast in such a short amount of time? It’s never as pretty as it looks. There is one thing everything ties back to, politics. The United Arab Emirates consists of 7 emirates and each one has a royal family. Of course, all royal families are the most powerful people in the country. How come the Burj Khalifa costs less than a regular building in Houston, Texas? Regulations and corruption. One thing they have done very well is to adapt legal framework. If you own a land, you can lower taxes. If you lower taxes, the cost of building comes out cheaper. And who works for you? The immigrants from countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Oman that are willing to work for a little bit of money, which brings the total cost down. How did Emirates become the best airline in the world? Well, if you own the airport and your fee to leave your own fleet in the airport remains low, you can use that money to invest in the planes and services that it provides. At the end of the day they are moving their own money around. But just like Singapore, every place has its history and culture, which has defined many parts of Dubai. Think of Dubai as a timeline. The far left is Sharjah and Old Dubai. The architecture in these two areas is very old and adobe like. The middle of the city has downtown Dubai, which contains modern architecture. Finally, the right side of the city is the newest addition to Dubai, which contains the most luxurious building and areas in the city: Burj Al Arab, Palm Island, The Marina, the yacht club, and internet city.

One thing both places have in common: copying. Many buildings are very similar to buildings outside the US. UOB building in Singapore (Located on the right) looks exactly like the US Bank in Los Angeles. The Esplanade and the ScienceArt Museum also in Singapore resemble the Sydney Opera House. There is a set of twin towers in Dubai that resembles the Chrysler Building in New York City. My contact mentioned that there is nothing wrong with copying because it is the product of immigration, but the problem is when the architect does not understand the architecture of the original building. That’s when things get pretty ugly because buildings will need to be reconstructed or, like many times, thrown down and rebuilt after a couple of years.